Zoroastrianism

[Guest guest]

An AFP piece (via ) which will hopefully be followed up on:

 

The mysterious Margianan civilisation which flowered in the

desert of what is now Turkmenistan some 4,000 years ago was the cradle

of the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, Greco-Russian

archeologist Victor Sarigiannidis claimed here.

He said the theory would provoke controversy amongst his fellow

archeologists, but said his excavations around the site of Gonur Tepe

have uncovered temples and evidence of sacrifices that would consistent

with a Zoroastrian cult.

The religion was founded by Zarathustra, a Persian prophet who

was one of the world's first monotheists, and is still practiced today

in Iran (news - web sites) and India. A team of archeologists in the

eastern Turkmenistan region have discovered the foundations of a huge

palace, seven temples and a vast mausoleum.

Sarigiannidis believes the civilisation emerged with the arrival

in the region of people seeking an escape from drought in Mesopotamia

(now Syria).

" Ninety-five percent of the ruins of the mausoleum look similar

to those of Mesopatamia, " Sarigiannidis, a member of the Russian

Science Academy said.

He also pointed out the similarity in the palace gate with the Minoan Palace of Knossos on the Greek Island Crete.

The latest finds from excavations in 2004 are on exhibit in the

Turkmen capital and suggest a highly refined civilisation. They feature

superb mosaics depicting griffins, wolves and lions, as well a marble

statue of a ram and finely highlighted vases in gold and silver.

Sarigiannidis has called on the Greek government to continue to

fund his excavations at the site and said the 17,000 euros per year

grant he had been accorded until 2007 by the former socialist

government had been cut by the current minister of culture.

::Saturday, March 19, 2005 6:54:27 AM::